Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Author: Shay
Total Time: 45 mins
Yield: 24 small slices, or about 6-10 servings

Ingredients

• 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F
2. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain.
3. Remove the skins of the tomatoes using a sharp knife, removing the stem area. Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers.
4. Finely chop tomatoes
5. Mix tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar in a bowl. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush.
7. Place baguette slices on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. Toast in oven for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.
8. Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Place some topping on each slice of bread and serve immediately.

Notes

As an Alternative to step 7, you can toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for 1 minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta. If using this method, you do not need to preheat the oven.

As an alternative to step 8, you can place the topping in a bowl, and use allow guests to spread onto the baguette slices. This keeps the baguette from getting soggy during leisurely dinners